Grasshopper Pie and Carrot Raisin Cupcakes

Jeff and I had already tried our hand at muffins, bread, and cake…and this time, we wanted something altogether different. Chocolate pie is what we came up with, but with a minty kick.

Now’s a good time to say just before the holidays, I asked Jeff what his fave desserts are, and *everything* he said were mine too. Scaaary.

The greenish hue is from a drop of food coloring

This Grasshopper Pie recipe was on our agenda for this date. And well, we had some boo-boo’s like not thawing the Cool Whip, and end up nuking it (a big no-no). We even tried freezing the pie, but the Cool Whip just wouldn’t hold up when sliced. Other than that though, it was deeeliiicious. I’d so make it again for pictures’ sake, of course.

Cool Whip landslide!

Speaking of pictures, Jeff took all these pie photos. Guess he wanted to prove once and for all, he was just as good at taking close-ups too. He’s definitely got an eye for capturing outdoor shots like Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs, Arkansas (the better-angle pics of the bathhouses were all his doing).

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 3/4 cup whipped topping. Fold in 3/4 cup candies. Spoon into crust.

In another bowl, combine extract and remaining whipped topping; add food coloring if desired. Spread over pudding layer; sprinkle with remaining candies. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.

We also made Carrot Raisin Cupcakes. The recipe is on the side of the Decadent Carrot Cake box. We had nowhere the problems as the Grasshopper Pie, but it wasn’t impressive. Sorry Duncan Hines!

I gave away most of the cupcakes at work. Something tells me they had the same opinion as me.

Before the Cream Cheese Frosting

…And after

Can you tell my frosting skills need major finesse?

Next post will be desserts we bought. A few of ’em were fantabulous; hands down, they’d give Marie Callender’s a run for their money.